Is It Time to Hire a Director of Culture?

The job title “director of culture” is relatively new within the past five or so years. But I’m seeing more and more smaller to mid-size, entrepreneurial companies creating this role within their organizations.

As we discussed last month , culture – the process of how work gets done – is happening all the time. The key to culture is making sure your values are clear and in action. They’ll align your culture toward your desired outcomes.

Hiring a Director of CultureHere are some key questions to think through before you hire:

What does culture mean to you?

What are the vision, values, and mission of the organization? How do you want your company to impact the world?

Will this be an internal, external, or hybrid role?

What are your short-term and long-term goals for this role?

How will you measure the success of your culture?

What partnerships are needed within the organization for the culture to succeed?

What resources (talent, money, time, materials) are allocated to culture development?

Where and at what level will this person contribute within your organization (executive level, strategy, talent development, etc.)?

Maximizing the Director of Culture RoleAlready have a director of culture? Or are you one yourself? Here are some additional questions to help you make the most of the role:

If you haven’t answered the questions above, no judgment. Now is just as good a time as any. If you have, it’s never a bad idea to revisit your perceptions.

How often do you incorporate feedback into your understanding of the organization’s short- and long-term pain points?

How do you celebrate and share wins?

Are there ways that the organization could maximize the director’s expertise in culture for other business or community results? An example: One of our clients primarily serves tech companies. Tech companies care a lot about culture. The director of culture at our client’s organization started participating in new business pitches because she had a lot to offer to the companies they were selling to.

We love to work with companies small and large to help maximize a director of culture’s impact. Let’s have a quick chat to determine how we can best help.